Finding the Former Wool Capital of the World

In my last post I typed that I wasn't planning to head out on any more trips until August, but I forgot I had scheduled a week of camping on the east side of Mt. Hood with some of my adult children!  I gathered some survival equipment on my wool blanket on my bed as I was packing.  [This is the first blanket I knit, somewhere between when I was 16-18.  I used jumbo plastic needles and used four strands of yarn, knitting 4, then purling 4 for 4 rows then reversing that for 4 rows, forming the basketweave pattern.  When I was first married I washed the blanket and dried it in the dryer, forgetting it was made of wool....uh oh.  It became more of a lap robe than a blanket, but I still enjoy using it nearly 50 years later!]

In the Mt. Hood National Forrest we set up a pretty nifty tent village.

I loved my comfy quarters.

I brought all kinds of projects to do, but just crocheted three headbands, shown on the towel in the lower part of the photo, and I nearly finished the novel The Sweetgum Ladies Knit for Love by Beth Pattillo.  During the thundershowers we had we had fun playing a game of Scrabble and Pegs and Jokers, too.

This was the glorious sunrise I photographed from my tent doorway one morning.

One day we drove to the nearby Rock Creek Reservoir and the menfolk came back several days later to fish.  While they did not catch any fish they were very excited to report that they were amazed to watch a Bald Eagle swoop down in front of them and snatch a fish from the water!

One evening we drove back to Rock Creek Reservoir to witness the sunset glowing over Mt. Hood in the distance.

Around the campfire we enjoyed roasting hot dogs and marshmellows,  reading the Orthodox Scripture readings for Pentecost Sunday, and daily Scripture readings and thoughts from Heidi and Rolland Bakkers' book, Reckless Devotion.  The Bakkers have lived and shared their faith in God for over 27 years in Mozambique and we were challenged as we read their thoughts, and discussed them with each other and God.  

The mysterious moon offered our camp village comforting illumination at night, but one night when it was rising it frightened us.  It had a shimmering red-gold glow that looked like a distant fire in the woods as it rose!

Often during the week we thanked God for the beauty around us!

We took a lot of photos!

The sound of rushing water and birds singing provided a wonderful melodic concert  for us and several times the percussion of thunder added some dramatic notes to the composition :)

Trying to identify the wildflowers I took photos of through Google Searches  has not been successful thus far.

But I am in awe looking at all the varieties of wildflowers!

One afternoon while my youngest son and son in law played golf, my youngest daughter and I drove around the nearby area, especially to go see the former Wool Capital of the World which is now nearly a ghost town.  Along the way we saw Smock Prairie School House 1906-1956, in Wamic, Oregon.

We drove through Maupin, Oregon. The town of Maupin along the Deschutes River has a pioneer heritage that includes mining and is currently the mailing address for the Imperial Stock Ranch where cattle and sheep are raised.  Wool from the sheep at the ranch was used to make the sweaters for the last USA Olympic Team.

My youngest daughter has enjoyed going rafting on the Deschutes River several times with some of her co-worker [nurse] friends. 

Now it is hard to imagine that Shaniko was once known as the "Wool Capitol of the World," but it was once on a railway line that made it the perfect location for gathering and shipping wool.

Since the railroad was relocated Shaniko is now just a tiny cluster of buildings such as the wedding chapel,

one of the museums

and another museum area of the "ghost town."

My youngest daughter, Elisabeth and I visited one of the few stores, open for business, Antiques & Things Hwy218 & 4th St. Shaniko, Oregon.

I loved the sheep print over the antique bed,

and in one part of the store was this little soda fountain where I drank some refreshing root beer. 

On the way back to our camp in the Mt. Hood National forrest I appreciated the setting of this abandoned home on the prairie with magnificent Mt. Hood to the west of it.

Nowadays along the former prairie schooner tracks are signs to beware of tractors,

and just in case one needs to know more about one's location there is this sign :)

The fields in the area were full of pretty purple-blue cornflowers,

but after a fabulous week of camping, we reluctantly aimed our vehicles back to our big brown cabin in the farm land on the west side of Mt. Hood.

Now I hope to catch up on what is happening in your neck of the woods!  Do tell me, please :)

Wishing you happy days,

Gracie xx